In a recent conversation with Caroline over at Fighting Eczema, she mentioned that she wanted to look into whether having low levels of vitamin D might be correlated with risk of developing eczema. The theory was her own, but she mentioned "a strong advocate for the benefits of vitamin D on the internet, Dr. Mercola." I thought I'd check the man out, since I'd seen another article or two by Mercola in the general health news.
I was seriously unimpressed. Joseph Mercola is a self-appointed "expert" on "natural health" who, in short, is a scaremonger peddling fears of modern technology and the drug industry. Natural cures are best, he says; and just in case you were wondering where to get them, you need only visit his extensively stocked online store.
He's big on vitamin D, for sure; has an entire section devoted to it. According to him, it cures just about everything. Count me a skeptic. Every doctor I've asked, and a few I haven't, has told me that anyone eating a balanced diet has no need of any vitamin supplements at all. Vitamin C, and perhaps a few others, are flushed out of your body in your urine, but the rest accumulate in your tissues. Too much of a vitamin or mineral is a bad thing, just like too little. No way would I take an excessive dose of one particular substance unless I'd been diagnosed with a severe deficiency.
(Amusing aside: in my 20s, for a short while, I took several multivitamins a day, in the belief they would make me super-healthy. I developed a remarkable case of hemorrhoids that cleared up when I stopped taking the pills.)
Caroline, I mean no offense--in the search to cure eczema for our children and ourselves, we ought to explore every avenue. But vitamin D isn't going to be the answer.
If you're interested--I recommend it--the blog Science-Based Medicine has a comprehensive and entertaining takedown of Mercola. Here's one segment. The FDA has served Mercola with two warning letters concerning unwarranted claims for seven of his products.
I agree with you that Dr. Mercola is not the final authority on any health issue and his cures/products/theories have to be taken with skepticism (I regret that I cited him, which I did reluctantly...). However, an argument against Dr. Mercola is not necessarily an argument against the importance of vitamin D per se. Surely, vitamin D is not a cure, but I don't see from your argument that a sufficient (not excessive!) amount of vitamin D might not improve the odds. In other words, I do agree with most you are saying, but I don't agree that vitamin D is off the table. I feel that this still has to be seen.
ReplyDeleteYes, I admit I was making a hasty ad-hominem argument against "Dr. M" that didn't address vitD directly. I just get annoyed by quacks. To be correct I should have titled the post "Too much vitamin D isn't going to cure anything."
ReplyDeleteI just found a review paper by none other than Donald Leung (ed of JACI) on the role of vitD in eczema and allergic diseases. I'd take his word a lot more seriously than "Dr M"'s.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20670821
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI write to you from not-so-sunny Scotland and as someone who, since 3 days ago, is a walking, talking Vitamin D3 experiment! As I type this message, I feel no itch and no inflammation. I feel like a new person.
In the past 6 months my eczema has been severe; to the point where members of my family didn't even recognise me such was the severity of swelling on my face. I've been in and out of hospital, the longest being as an in-patient for 3 weeks. I've also had my fair share of steroids - potent and not-so-potent. I have tried many remedies of my own, from dietary exclusions, environmental changes to avoiding washing powder/ shampoo etc.
From all of this, I have deduced what is the overriding element of my condition. Which is this: Bacterial imbalance on my skin.
When I was admitted to hospital, I tested positive for MRSA. But of course, one cannot read too much into this as human skin has many other bacteria, good and bad, present. Even before I was diagnosed MRSA positive, I was investigating the bacterial route. At that time my reason for doing so was because I was acutely aware that exposure to UVB 'killed' my ezcema within a matter of hours. My problem was that I only went on holiday to Spain once a year! I also noted that UVA (sunbeds) just didn't have the same effect.
When I was in hospital my condition was alleviated (albeit only temporarily) by anti-bacterial baths. This further confirmed my bacterial suspicions.
I read a paper on the internet last week (and before you say anything, I'm skeptical about everything published with regard to eczema!) that referred to the Vitamin D3/cathelicidin (antimicrobial peptide) relationship. So since 3 days ago I started taking 4000uD Vitamin D3 and some B complex for good measure. And I now write to you as someone who feels - dare I say it - almost cured.
As a former international sportsman, competing in a dangerous sport, having survived many serious injuries, you can take my word that I know my body and mind well. Insofar as my own eczema is concerned, I can assure you that it is related to the above - not to stress, dustmite or anything of that nature!
So I will post again, in a few days, hopefully with news of my continued improvement.
Best Wishes
Mike
Mike, thanks for writing, and please do let us know how it goes. I wouldn't be surprised if vitamin D worked for a subset of eczema patients--maybe me, for all I know. If your success continues I'll consider giving it a shot! (Although we get more sun in San Francisco than where you are, so we probably make enough vitamin D).
ReplyDeleteIf you comment again, would you mind posting the link to that vitD/cathelicidin paper?
Hi all
ReplyDeleteas a scientist working in the eczema field I have recently become interested in the Vit D connection as well and, having reviewed the evidence, have come be belive in the Vit D sufficiency hypothesis. The hypothesis posits that insuficcient systemic levels of VitD (below 20 ng/ml in serum) predisposes to ezcema, and the epidemilogical evidence appears to support this. I just returned from the annual Society for Investigative Dermatology meeting in (sunny!) Az and there several reports were presented on the inverse correlation between serum Vit D and eczema prevalence and severity, in several seperate populations. Worth trying a supplement if your levels are low (you can have them measured!) - and even if you live somewhere sunny, know that most children and adults in westernized societies spend too much time indoors (perhaps working, communting and blogging :-) to have sufficient Vit D levels. Further, any standard sunscreen will block both UVA and UVB and that is proven to also block the formation of VitD in the skin. Incidentally, doses up to 10000 IU daily are condidered within the safety limits, 1000 IU raises serum Vit D with only ~4 ng/ml, so supplementation with about 4-5000 IU daily would be perfectly reasonable. But, as I am not a medical doctor (also a PhD) , I suggest you discuss with your Doc! Best of luck,
Luna
Luna, thanks for posting--I am psyched to have a scientist involved.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to get advice on how to balance the skin cancer risk of sun exposure with the need for vitamin D. (In my idiot youth I got burned many times in the quest for a tan.) How much time should we spend outside? And how much vitamin D are we getting from fortified milk/milk products?
Hello spanish key. Did you ever get your vitamin D levels checked? Just because you live in San Francisco doesn't mean your body makes enough vitamin D. I believe it could be possible that some eczema sufferers may have a genetic skin defect that doesn't produce as much vitamin D as a normal person. So even if you stay outside the same hours as another person, some eczema sufferers may still not make as much vitman D.
ReplyDeleteToday nearly 77% of Americans have some level of vitamin D deficiency:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=vitamin-d-deficiency-united-states
Atopic dermatitis eczema sufferers have a hyperactive immune system, a weaker skin barrier (easier for microbs/germs to break through the skin), and higher deficiency of the antimicrobial peptides such as cathelicidin (which is the hormonally active form of vitamin D)
Research shown the use of vitamin D3(cholecalciferol) significantly raised cathelicidin production with atopic eczema sufferers, which lead to improvement of symptoms:
http://www.medinewsdirect.com/?p=594
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2659525/
Hey Terrell. Thanks for reminding me. I was out of blogging action for a while and forgot the threads I'd started. Next time I see my doctor (prob a few weeks or so) I will ask him to order the test.
ReplyDeleteIn fact I am seeing him this coming Tuesday. Let's see whether he thinks I'm a kook.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who's dealt with several autoimmune issues (ezczema and recently diagnosed with stage IV endometriosis) I can attest to the D3's (not just D) connection to relieving horrific 20+ year progressive chronic exczema on both shins. It is well known now that the old Vit D levels (max/min) have been adjusted in the last couple of years. It, of course, would make a difference if someone is suffering from the skin condition and is D deficient or has 'normal' levels but not a huge difference. Taking 5,000-10,000/day with K2 and Vitamin C made all the difference. The toxic level is 40,000 daily so I'm well within the safe levels. The benefit far exceeds the cabinets of creams dispensed with abandon by the dermatologists. Some of those were literally painful to use. The acid-like burning and oozing patches have all but disappeared but if I skip a couple of days it begins to return. I also break a capsule open and spread it on the skin takes it from residual pink to normal tone. The idea of wearing shorts in public or over-knee skirts again is intoxicating, though it's not about vanity but pain relief. This is the only thing I've done differently in the last six months. My diet for years now (imho great)- pescatarian with wild-caught cold water oily fish 3-4 times/week (macrel, salmon, sardines, etc), no red meat or hormone poultry, strictly gluten free, lots of raw veg, cook only with EVCO and EVO for years. I live in Northern VA and am 5'10", 135 lbs mid-40's athletic small-boned female. Five years ago my weight ballooned up to 164 and (again) docs blamed aging/hormones/etc - going gluten free dropped the weight but not made any difference in exczema. A few years ago I diagnosed my husband's rosacea before a good doc finally did (after several bad ones kept prescribing strong cortisone creams, a huge no-no, which turned his face into a total mess). We used D3 to bring it down in a matter of a couple of days. Of course Vit C and K2 are a necessary adder. Just sharing my own experience.
ReplyDeleteHello was reading your experience, do you still free of eczema with the vitamin D3? I checked my levels last week and I have low level for d3 and I never had eczema before. Now I have it everywhere I don't know what to do anymore..
DeleteDear Unknown, Thanks for your comments. I was diagnosed last year with low D levels, kept meaning to get out in the sun more but still probably have low levels and suddenly developed a horrific case of eczema (after having outgrown a mild case as a child). I'm early 50's, a crossfit athlete, eat Paleo, tons of organic veg, chia seed, hemp seed, coconut oil, spirulina (not allergic to any of these), very little fruit, lots of freshly pressed at home green juices - so I had no idea why this is happening! I'll bet it's the D (and my predisposition to eczema - and fair, delicate skin - I have blonde-red hair). I will try what you did and hope for the best! This has been a nightmare (staying awake all night trying not to scratch). Thanks for posting! Sarah
ReplyDeleteI moved up to Western NY 15 years ago and had eczema every winter until I started taking 3000 IU vitamin D3 per day. Since then I have had no eczema. Not to mention, no colds, flu, or any other illness.
ReplyDeleteHello fellow sufferers,
ReplyDeleteI have now been suffering with eczema for approximately 7 years. It is in my eyebrows, on my chin, cheeks and in my facial hair(a wet shave is now a no-no). Have visited the doctors numerous times coming away with steroid creams, and no closer to an answer. The sun beds have helped a little though cant keep going on them as that carries another risk. I have noticed a link between my diet and how my skin reacts; high sugar=itchy,red flakey skin. Cutting it out helps a little but won't be long before the eczema "works out"(lol) what I have done and adapts. My skin really is rather bad, so have ordered myself a strong multivitamin, vitamin c, vitamin d3(I placed my order before reading about the k2). I placed my order today and will start on arrival. Shall be back in a week or two to report any changes. My fingers are crossed and I am optimistic. Fellow sufferers, if you have found anything to be of help please share with the rest of the world. My name is also Mike
I've managed to rid myself of eczema with Silicea Gel. I took it internally and put it on my eczema topically and it's worked absolute wonders!
ReplyDeleteNever heard of that. Will check it out. Thanks for letting us know!
ReplyDeleteI have had eczema on my hands, on and off, since I was a child. It initially responded to steroid creams (now my skin is immediately damaged by them) and is worsened by all the usual factors such as mechanical damage, dirt and “chemicals”, and so on. It has also become linked with some food allergies I developed a while ago, but that passed after a lengthy exclusion of the culprits. The eczema always got much, much worse during winter. I am fair-skinned and live at a latitude of 53 degrees, in a region that’s certainly not known for its sunny weather.
ReplyDeleteLast winter the eczema was especially bad during January and February (open wounds, bleeding, extensive dry and crumbling skin), and then during one week in an extremely sunny region it healed almost completely – to the point that I could only just tell it was still there and no one else would have noticed. Never had it done that before, with any form of treatment at all. Returning home, within a week it was on its way back and had returned to the previous poor state.
I realised that there were many differences between my week away and my normal lifestyle (including sleep, diet, hand usage, stress…) and not just the weather, but I thought I’d pursue the “sunlight” idea – which had previously occurred to me. A few sips of cod liver oil per day saw a dramatic recovery over a period of 4-7 days. And, again, if I stopped consuming it the eczema got bad once again. I tried some vitamin D3 tablets and saw the same effect. Shortly, it was summer and I stopped taking them. Then, predictably, by October or November it was starting to come back.
Now, in darkest January – I find that 10,000iu/day (250µg) keeps the skin in a reasonable condition (i.e. no open sores or bleeding, but still some red and dry patches) and that’s about as high as I’m willing to go at the moment. I have taken more and seen a near-complete recovery, but I can manage at this level and just wait until summer for it to retreat again.
It's a shame that doctors dismiss this treatment out of hand, probably without really considering it. For me it is far more effective than steroid creams (which cause more harm than good), cheaper and safer with, so far as I can tell, no side effects yet. If you are comfortable with self-experimentation and notice a seasonal variation in your eczema then I think this is worth a shot. It has helped me tremendously. “Eczema” is quite a broad term, though, and manifests through different mechanisms – I doubt everyone will respond to this. But you should know within a week if you will – it is really very obvious.
I am the poster above and would like to add that I've since been able to phase out my supplementation of vitamin D almost completely, taking 5000iu (1 x the tablets I happen to have) only "when I remember", which can be less than once per week at times. During this winter just gone I had only the faintest signs (retreating cuticle on one finger) and now come sunnier weather I've abandoned it altogether. So perhaps after controlling it well through a few seasons some kind of semi-permanent relief is possible. There does seem to be a certain amount of momentum with eczema when it gets better or worse
DeleteFor such a cheap, safe (we believe) and rapid treatment (if indeed it will work at all) I see no reason for sufferers of skin or other "allergies" and related problems not to give it a try. I'm glad to see many other positive experiences in these comments, how great that other people have found success with this idea.
Thanks for your story. I expect that yes, large vitamin D supplements may be the answer for some people. It's just not clear from large surveys though because the results get averaged out. The next generation ought to benefit from personalized medicine in areas like this.
ReplyDeleteI have eczema over a large percentage of my body, the worst patches are on my shins (3" x 5", bright red with thick flakey white scales) As a recent lung cancer patient, my doctor was curious about my vitamin D level and sent me to the lab. The acceptable range was 30-100 and I came in at 17. She told me to take 4,000 units of D3 daily.
ReplyDeleteI procrastinated until mid-February and even then I only managed to remember to take a single 1,000 unit tablet once a day. It is now March 10th and I'm up to 2,000-3,000 units per day (maybe discipline will improve with higher doses?!) and my ecxzema is almost invisible.
The only change in my environment has been the addition of D3 so I googled "vitamin D eczema" and discovered that I'm not alone.
I also had a skin condition called Keratosis Pilaris (bumps on the upper arms and thighs caused by excessive keratin production as "a response to heat") That is also almost completely gone. Both of these skin conditions began when I was pregnant - - 27 years ago - - and I'm pretty sure that this is how it feels when a person is freed from prison because new evidence proves their innocence. OK, that might be a slight exaggeration, but this feels SO good!
The only time in those 27 long years that the eczema improved was one summer that began with a bad sunburn on my legs on the first day of June. And that didn't even affect the Keratosis Pilaris, only the eczema improved.
I know my doctor wanted me to have a decent vitamin D level because of the cancer and I can't WAIT to tell her about this wonderful 'side affect'!!!
It's me again (AnonymousMarch 10, 2013 at 12:03 PM) and I am now up to 7,000 IU of D3 and have very few small patches of eczema left. (my lab's range for D levels is 30-199 and I WAS 17, now I'm up to 68) Now that scientific studies have proven that Vitamin D3 helps eczema, I might increase to 8,000 and get rid of the remaining spots!
DeleteAND I'm still lung cancer-free too so maybe it DOES help our odds against cancer too.
I am so glad it works for you. What a great discovery. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSpanish Key - may I ask if you tried the D3 on yourself and did it help?
ReplyDeleteI always increase my D intake when the eczema starts to get bad and I always see a dramatic improvement in my skin as soon as I do. So much so that I now have people at work who also suffer taking D3 as well, to see if it works for them.
I swear by vit D - I increase my dosage to 4,000IU a day in the winter and this seems to do the trick.
Sarah
You should really change your title for this article because and not dis Dr M about the vit D. As the commenters are like me very happy with the outcome of vit D. Yes it might not work for every one it works with allot. And this article comes up when you google eczema mercola. Most people would not read the comments and it would have been sad if I was did not try vit D because I read your silly attack post which had nothging to do with vit D.
ReplyDeleteSorry for my poor English :)
DeleteI agree. The article is totally misleading for the personal anger reasons, and many probably didn't even make it to the comments part of the page, which is definitely more informing and helpful. I felt like something is missing and scrolled down to see what people have to say. Glad I did it... I hope the title changes or something so people wouldn't get wrong information.
DeleteThanks
I agree. The internet is full of false information and good information mixed together. It is up to us to use our best judgement, safely experiment, and continue digging etc...
DeleteVitamin D3 does work. It cured the eczema that was all over my body for 2 years. Thanks to God, taking 7-10,000 IU a day keeps it away and my skin in perfect health. Become a believer!!! We don't need drugs for anything. If it didn't exist 100 years ago, we don't need it today.
ReplyDeleteI've had eczema since I was 9. Went away until until I was 21 and started coming back real bad. Interestingly, I notice my condition improves dramatically during the summer. I don't think it has to do with the shift in winter to summer weather... if anything it usually gets worth with heat and humidity which I notice when I take a hot shower.
ReplyDeleteI've actually just started Vit D3. Had my level measured a few weeks ago which was 38ng/ml. I'm taking 5000 units daily.
I'm going to crank it up to 60-70 and see what happens.
A few months ago I had ELISA testing done as well... which I thought was total bogus (I was convinced by a close friend to have it done). I tested allergic to over a dozen things... four of which I was eating daily (oranges, celery, whey protein, coconut) also cotton seed oil which is in all my mom's cooking. Eliminating just these things cleared my eczema up after 9 weeks.
Problem is I don't want to stay away from my mom's cooking, and I really dig coconut, so I got loose and the eczema is back. My understanding based on everything together I've gathered is that it's immune system imbalance, specifically Th1/Th2 issues. All the immune cells have receptors for the hormonally active form of D3 so it would make sense if it helped. We'll see what happens!
I forgot to mention my eczema effects my eyelids, ears, and the front of my elbows. Interestingly the left side of my body becomes an issue first (above left eyelid, front of left elbow).
DeleteI also get itching on the back of my scalp too.
Hello everyone,
ReplyDeleteI've suffered from eczema for a year and a half. I've had it as a child before but it never came back (I'm 21 now) until recently. I used so many creams.... SO MANY. They would all initially work and then eventually the eczema comes back. After seeing doctors and a dermatologist they would always just send me home with a new steroid cream. Even when I told the dermatologist I didn't want a steroid cream, he just said you have no other choice and it's the only way because it's never going away. Whenever I asked them why this is occurring now when I haven't had eczema for over a decade, all they could say was that it comes and goes. "You're stuck with it forever" pretty much. I feel like there HAD to be something internal causing this sudden difference in my skin.
Luckily, one doctor had me do a blood test to check my vitamin D levels because she said it could be linked to it. Turns out, I had a very severe deficiency. Ever since I received my test results I ate food rich in Vitamin D and my skin has improved miraculously. My hand which was diagnosed with severe eczema completely cleared up in a matter of days and all I have are the remnants of small patches on my arms. I haven't been using any creams and this was just changing my diet alone! I saw the doctor today and she told me to take a 5000iu dose of vitamin D daily from now on. I will recheck my levels in 3 months and if they're in the normal range, she recommends 2000iu daily after that.
Eczema patients, I urge of you to do a check on this! It could change your life. I can't believe how many of these specialists are always giving just a temporary solution like the steroid cream rather than seeking the internal biological cause. I am thankful I came across the doctor who suggested the blood test. I recommend anyone who is suffering with this to just do a quick consultation with your doctor and do the test. It doesn't hurt to just check Vitamin D levels regardless of eczema or not; Vitamin D is very important for you.
If things don't work out, look into acupuncture or a naturopathic doctor. They are more concerned about the actual CAUSE of your condition.
Have to agree with your theme--YOU are the one who knows the most about yourself and you're the one whose interest it is in to find the answer. Don't stop with your regular doctor or dermatologist if they're not fixing your problem.
ReplyDeleteThat means getting tested for allergies and vitamin D level etc. (My own is normal, but I got it checked just in case.) Do what needs to be done, short of witch-doctor stuff like NAET.
Yes, please change the title, it's quite misleading. Here's a very instructive article on Vitamin D, published in the Journal of the World Public Health Nutrition Association:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wphna.org/2011_aug_wn3_vitaminD.htm
Hi, I am currently experiencing worst flare up in my life ever since I was born. I was suffering from mild eczema during infancy, then it went away and returned in puberty - always in from autumn to spring, with complete remissions between May and October. Then, when I was 22, AD cleared up as usually in spring and I thought i am over this completely. But now, 5 years after, It has returned badly. I have spent last month studying all the resources available and I have came across this nice blog and this discussion. It seems that D3 theory is wort trying for me (due to seassonal character of my AD). So, right tommorow I am going to have my levels checked. Meanwhile, please would you be so kind and share some updates about effects of oral D3 usage on your AD severity? Does it still do the trick for you? Thank you very much...
ReplyDeleteUpdate to my last comment. My doc was sceptical about vitamin D theory, but as I do not have many others things to try, I have had my vitamin D level checked on my own. Results had just came in and it turns out that I have 25 ng/mL, which can be classified as insufficiency. So I have ordered D3 supplements from Solgar and I will start to take 4000 IU daily and I will hope that it will be somehow beneficious or at least will stop my AD from further spreading. I would be extremely pleased if someone of you posting above will update us about their situation - if vitamin D intake still helps them... Thanks.
ReplyDeleteVojta
Has anyone had this experience? I've has eczema mostly since childhood and it sort of comes and goes. After a regular checkup and blood test with no concern over eczema, my doc noticed my Vit D level was low and prescribed 3000 IU per day. I already had on hand 300 IU (which I know is MUCH lower) and started taking one a day to sort of ramp up. Well, boom!, the eczema came back pretty hard on just 300 IU. If I ramp up to 3000 IU won't it just get worse? Or do high doses somehow reverse the process? Any thoughts would be helpful before I start taking higher doses. Thanks, Peter.
ReplyDeleteMy 3 year old daughter had very, very severe eczema that would keep her up every night. She has scars from scratching her ankles and wrists over and over. We tried everything, even cortisone creams. It was until we started giving her a high dose of vitamin D/K2 that she got relief. Her skin cleared up 95% and she no longer itches at night.
ReplyDeleteI have had excema for around 4 years now and I'm only 17, I have realised that most doctors from my own personal experience are completely stupid when it comes to excema. All the doctors I have went to are all the ones that swear by the fact that excema is something that is in your genes and they all swear that the only thing that is going to help me is steroids, steroids have really made it a whole lot worse for me as on one small patch on my cheeks you can actually feel that the skin is much thinner than the rest (obviously this is where I used the steroid creams) i have discussed with my doctor that I don t want these creams any more as they may help bring the redness down by a bit but in a weeks time it always comes back even redder.I then started to think what has changed in my life to Mabey pin point what the cause of the problem was, I then realised my diet has gotten quite worse and I also realised when I just started to get excema on my face it was after I fell out with a few of my friends and was housebound for basically a full year as I didn't want anything to do with the people I live beside lol so Mabey it was because I got lack of sunshine on my face, I recently started taking vitamin d3 tablets and also I lie out on the beach for a view hours when the sun is at it brightest and have noticed that my excema is fading a lot so I would like to tell everyone to stop taking those stupid steroid creams and Mabey give vitamin D and diet changes a chance because after researching I have found a lot of people that have the same issue. If you don't have any sun where your from I reccomend a few sun bed sessions Mabey? Or clearing up your diet because I have also done that and it's helping, a mix between sunshine and diet and lots of intake of water is helping me hugely
ReplyDeleteYeah, also think that doctors are stupid when,it comes to the subject if eczema. People who have eczema are way more knowledgeable about the subject than doctors. Also, i also think that there has to be a cure for eczema, not like its cancer or some death threatening disease that doesnt have a cure. Im really positive that it could be vitamin d deficiency. Im going to try it out on my baby. Im awfully tired of the steroid creams. If anything they seem to make his eczema worse! And it always comes back so whats the point?
DeleteMy daughter just turned 10 years old tonight. She didn't fall asleep until close to midnight, as the scratching and itchiness of her eczema kept her from sleeping. Determined to find an answer, I found this page after several others talking about D3. She takes a multi-vitamin only when she's with me half the week. She has really bad eczema--in the winter months only. It is gone in the summer, which leads me to believe the D3 deficiency could be the culprit. I'm going to run to the drug store and pick some up for the morning. I'll post here again in after the weekend, as I'll be able to give it to her consistently and see the effect on Monday. Fingers crossed. I hope it helps her and I'm so happy for everyone who it has helped because I understand the frustration and emotional as well as physical discomfort you experienced.
ReplyDeleteI had eczema so bad a few years ago that I scratched the hair off my legs down by my ankles and it has never grown back. Multiple trips to the dermatologist where the only recommendation as slap on lotion. I discovered the Vitamin D connection by accident. Since increasing my levels many years ago I have never had a problem since. I suspect that for most people low vitamin D levels is the answer.
ReplyDeleteI have had eczema for 14 years and still do now, just small ones but heal up on its own.PLEASE STOP USING CORTISONE! This will weaken your immune system and your skin. Your body is capable of healing from rashes and dry skin. Just take vitamins such as D and C or exercise in the sun and eat fruits.Try not to scratch your skin! but if you do at least wash your finger nails with soap. Good luck! take cares! =)
ReplyDeleteMy 6 year old son has had eczema for years. I started giving him 2000 IU daily of Vitamin D (the gummy vitamin form). His eczema is completely cured! I forget to give it to him for a few days... BOOM eczema is back! It's amazing. It's worked better than any cream or medication from his pediatrician.
ReplyDeleteAwesome and interesting article. Great things you've always shared with us. Thanks. Just continue composing this kind of post.
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I have found that low intensity tanning beds and sunshine work GREAT for my hand eczema. Supplements bother me enough that I can't take them very often.
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ReplyDeleteI felt in my 50+ yrs. of dealing with eczema I have some things to share. I grew up in southern CA, and although my eczema was horrid, we did notice that the few vacations to the desert (and me being outside more) seemed to really help my skin. Now, could that have been the sun or less inside/environmental triggers, not sure. Having said that, I also have had tanning beds aggravate my eczema, or if I'm in the sun too long, and get sweatier, I definitely itch more, so I feel there's a delicate balance here. I also was found to be Vit D deficient, on several occasions, through blood testing. (I've been more home bound, for over 7 yrs. due to severe eczema, so I wasn't surprised by these findings.) I then began supplemetation with vit. D3/1,000 IUs, daily up to 2,000 IUs, and now my vit. D is finally testing in the noraml range. HOWEVER, I have not seen any improvement in my eczema, AND presently, am experiencing dibilatating pain in my back and legs now for over 6 mos. All tests (ie MRI, nuero, etc..) reveal nothing significant, so I am re-evaluating the vit. D as the culprit! I might also note, that some people experience rashes with vit. D as they are allergic to it, and also note that vit. D3 is supposedly more absorbable than the other forms of vit. D but you must take magnesium with it. There's my 2 cents. :)
ReplyDeleteIt says on your profile that you're a "science writer". So you concluded Vitamin D doesn't work based on what facts?
ReplyDeleteAnswer: nothing
Question: Did you even bother to get your vitamin levels tested (surprisingly some people can still be deficient even with plenty of sun exposure)?
Question: Did you ever take vitamin D supplements (not from multivitamins) for some time to assess their affect on you so that you can at least formulate an anecdote?
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ReplyDeleteIve suffered with eczema since childhood and live in UK and everytime I went to visit family in Pakistan or my recent trip to Dubai all my eczema cleared up. Dunno whether it was the sun exposure and Vitamin D or the heat and sweat? I strongly feel the exposure to the Sun is what clears up my eczema everytime.
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